Upstart Studio Targets Revolution

Share.

Polish software house making two projects for Nintendo's next generation system.

By Matt Casamassina

Upstart Nibris, a small development studio based in Poland, has revealed that it is working on two projects for Nintendo's next generation console, codenamed Revolution. The games exist in pre-alpha form - one earlier than the other - and neither has a publisher, but the developer is hopeful that both works will get picked up in the near future.

Nibris head Piotr Orlovsky recently chatted with IGN Revolution about the company and its would-be Revolution titles.

Orlovsky explained that Nibris consists of about 14 people, most of whom have experience with PC games, and that the studio is still without Revolution development hardware. However, it is working in conjunction with a big Polish publisher to gain access to GameCube development kits, whose architecture is similar to that of Revolution.

The studio is in talks with three publishers for its Revolution projects, according to Orlovsky. "We have many ideas that can only be realized by Revolution," he said.

"We do not make games for money, but for sheer pleasure. We create games which we would like to play, but they are missing from the market. Our games are only for Nintendo - only DS and Revolution can realize our visions," Orlovsky explained. "We agree with Nintendo that the market needs new ideas, not just larger amounts of polygons. Of course it doesn't mean that we will not pay attention to the graphics -- definitely not! However we want the games to provide entertainment in the first place. Our aim is to make the player feel emotions and feelings. We desire real smiles, sadness, fear and tears. We believe we are able to achieve this."

Lofty goals, to be sure, and Nibris is currently looking for more talented individuals to help tackle the challenge.

Conceptual screenshot: Raid Over the River

The company's first and more advanced Revolution project is called Raid Over the River. A DS version is also in development. Raid Over the River is a vertical shooter in which players control an air combat vehicle through a series of missions. The title will employ an "easy to learn, but hard to master" flight model, 10 different levels taking place in changing time and weather conditions, and at least four different aircraft, each with differing attributes. Available flight vehicles will include a fighter-class plane, bomber, transporter or AWACS, according to Nibris.

Conceptual screenshots of the title have been included in this article.

Conceptual screenshot: Raid Over the River

The company's second game, Sadness, is nothing like the first. Nibris would like to keep the specifics a secret for the moment, but Orlovsky did provide a general overview in his own words.

"All I can say now is that it is going to be a gothic horror [game], which will scare not with the amount of blood but with sheer atmosphere. Imagine a game in which you do not use guns or knives but you will have to protect yourself with the objects you find exploring the ground -- a stone, a stick, etc," he said. "Some examples of using the controller - you swing a torch with it to scare the rats off; you slit the throat (controller as a piece of glass or a knife); if you want to climb the wall you will have to hook a rope over the piece of a wall sticking out (controller serving as a lasso). And this is only the beginning."

Orlovsky noted that the title will be designed from the ground up as a single-player experience and aimed at adults with strong nerves. "Let me mention that the scenario will have associations with narcolepsy, nyctophobia and paranoid schizophrenia," he added. "The scenario will surprise you."

Neither project has a release date, although a DS version of Raid Over the River is scheduled to debut at E3 2006. Nibris has suggested that the Revolution build may also appear in some form.

The upstart studio clearly has some uphill battles before any of these concepts can be made into playable, presentable works, but it's definitely got heart and dedication on its side.

Publishers interested in contacting Nibris can visit the studio's official website at www.nibris.net.

Readers can check out additional concepts and artwork for Raid Over the River in our media section below.